Editor's note: This the fifth in an ongoing series looking at the Crossroads' top taxpayers.

The ongoing oil boom that has taken root in the Crossroads region means long hours, extra shifts and plenty of work for companies throughout the area. And for Hilcorp Energy Co., the work doesn't end there.

With its $267,128,320 in taxable value, the Houston-based Hilcorp tops the list of Refugio County's top taxpayers.

Hilcorp was founded in 1989 and today is among the nation's largest privately held independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, Justin Furnace, Hilcorp's corporate manager of external affairs, wrote in an email.

With more than 1,000 employees, the company operates primarily in the Gulf Coast, Northeastern United States, the Rockies and Alaska's Cook Inlet, he wrote, and is consistently ranked among the top places to work by various publications.

Furnace said Hilcorp makes it a point to have a positive community impact.

The company keeps involved through the Greater Houston Community Foundation, he said, and gives each employee $2,500 when hired. From there, he said, the employee can donate that money to a nonprofit organization of his or her choice.

Corporate donations come into play, he said, and the company also matches qualified employee contributions up to $2,000. To date, more than $5 million in contributions have been given through the Hilcorp Giving Program.

Meanwhile, the company's Future Leaders of America scholarship program offers a $10,000 college scholarship to a student who excels in math and science, Furnace wrote. The scholarship is available to students in 20 high schools nationwide, including Refugio High School.

"We are proud to be a part of the Refugio County community," he wrote in the email, "and plan on continuing our relationship in the area for a long time to come."